[R.I.P. Dusty Hill] -- “I like to believe that I play bass like Dusty Hill, and that's something nobody else can do as well as me. I'm the best Dusty Hill I know.” ~Dusty Hill (May 19, 1949 – July 28, 2021) in reply to a 2010 Q&A in CLASSIC ROCK magazine.
I posted that quote on several of my social media accounts on 7/28/2021, after I had read the news that Texas musician, Dusty Hill, had died in his sleep. There are news stories (AP News, for example) and tributes all over the web. The outpouring of emotion for 72-year-old Hill is understandable. He was not only ZZ Top's bass player, and other bearded dude, he was also, on occasion, the band's keyboard player. Plus, he sang backing and lead vocals. Dusty Hill was the man who held the bottom line for so many songs in the soundtrack of my life, especially from the late 1970s through the 1990s.
So, this week's Flashback cycles through a trio of ZZ Top's 1980s catalog featuring Dusty Hill on lead vocals. Can you guess what made the cut? Read and hear more after the jump.
Flashback #1: "Party on the Patio" – El Loco (1981)
This video features two more songs: The middle song is "La Grange" (from 1973's Tres Hombres) with Billy Gibbons singing lead, and the third and final song featured in this video is "Tush" (from 1975's Fandango!) with Dusty back on lead vocals.
Flashback #2: "Bad Girl" – Eliminator (1983)
Eliminator was a huge turning point in ZZ Top's career. They were already the best little blues band from Texas. But when this album hit the charts – and when ZZ Top's music videos hit MTV – the very history of music was forever altered.
Flashback #3: "'Delirious" – Afterburner (1985)
Afterburner picked up where Eliminator left off. That's all I need to say about the album. And all I can say about "Delirious" is that it perfectly fuses ZZ Top's party blues with 1980s production schtick into a relentless toe tapper of a rock n roll tune. It should have been a single. Or at least a B-side.
I've made three offerings, so that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
Image note: The source of the image at the top of this post is a photograph of ZZ Top on stage in Hammersmith Odeon, London, England. It was taken by Nik Milner on November 28, 1983. I cropped it to feature Dusty Hill, but you can see the original (and purchase a framed copy?) here.
I'll see you in seven!
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